Title: Understated
Author: Occurs (missoccurs@hotmail.com)
Chapter Four (!)
Notes: I live! I live! I can't promise consistent
updates, but something made me write almost this
whole darn thing tonight. Yes, it's short, yes, it's
kinda fluffy in the way cheesy romance novels are
fluffy, but it's here! And can someone please
tell me how to make it to where documents do
not automatically double space when you
convert them to html? .
"Here you are, sir." Mika smiled blandly as she passed the manager his
third bourbon of the night. He gulped it down hastily, then slid off his glasses,
polishing them with practiced habit to try and release nervous energy. His
apprehension was reflected in the mood of the whole backstage area. People
were scurrying around like mice, fixing little things here and there, tripping over
cords in the half-darkness, and trying very hard to stick to the strict schedule that
dictated that there would be a show beginning in exactly twenty minutes, whether
or not anyone was ready. As the half-dressed singer of the warm up band paraded
by, screaming for her shoes, the manager reached for another drink.
"Hey, you, I need more water!" The diva stalked back, gesturing sharply at Mika
with the rhinestone-buckled boot clutched in her hand. "How can you people expect me
to sing if I can't keep my vocal cords hydrated?!" Mika gritted her teeth as she
passed the girl a chilled bottle, wondering how she expected to sing if she kept
running back and forth while shrieking like a banshee. The starlet downed the bottle
then tossed it back in Mika's face, spinning on her heel to return to her dressing
room.
"I'm sorry, ma'm." The manager apologized miserably as he leaned against
the makeshift bar counter. "She's a little hard to handle, but she has a lot of
talent and..."
"It's fine." Mika threw the bottle in the trash, her voice cool.
She glanced harshly at the green-haired girl's retreating figure, mentally
going over her resignation speech for when she got out of this special kind
of hell. Uesugi Mika was not designed to be at anyone's beck and call, least
of all whining superstars and their alcoholic entourage. As she turned to
prepare another tray for Hiromi to parade around, she felt a small tap on
her sleeve. A quick glance around showed, well, no one. Mika frowned
slightly, sure she hadn't imagined it. Another tap came.
"Ano, excuse me, but Kumogoro would like some strawberry soda please!"
Mika's professional expression visibly cracked as she looked not
around, but down to see a stuffed rabbit being held up to the counter, its
head bobbing in time with its ventriloquist.
"I beg your pardon?" she repeated, looking out of the corner of
her eye to see if anyone else saw and found the situation even a little
unusual. They didn't.
"Strawberry soda! Or lime, or lemon, or orange, no, not orange,
or grape, yeah grape would be good! Yeah yeah, grape or strawberry!" The
words came at a mile a minute, and Mika struggled to keep her composure.
"I'm ah, sorry but we don't have any soda. Perhaps one of
the vending machines would better suit your needs..."
"But Kumogoro saw you give Takeuchi-san a soda!"
Mika's lip twitched.
"Even just a regular normal-flavored soda!"
"Ryuichi, why don't you just have water instead? We're
going on very soon."
Mika's heart did an annoying little jump in her chest. Tohma
Seguchi stood behind the crouched figure and his stuffed companion,
smiling benignly at her but with a touch of deviousness in his eyes.
Ryuichi reluctantly agreed to Tohma's logic, but upon spotting
Noriko by the lights he promptly forgot about his quest for Kumogoro's
drink and ran over to accost his other bandmate. Tohma gave a slight
shrug by way of apology, and Mika straightened. The blonde continued
to look at her, but said nothing.
"Would you like a drink, Seguchi-san?" She inquired in the
most polite tone she could manage. If he didn't remember her she
certainly wasn't going to be the first one to...
"I'm happy you're here." He finally spoke, stepping in closer
to her. He did sound happy, but not in the least surprised, and
warning bells went off in Mika's head. If he had anything to do
with the fact that she was stuck here in uncomfortable shoes, being
harrassed by starlets and toys, for an hourly wage that could
barely keep a goldfish for a month, she would have to kill him.
And, idol or not, it would have to be painful and messy. He must have
seen the glint in her eye, because Tohma suddenly laughed and moved
back. Mika grimaced slightly, and she crossed her arms.
"You fixed this, didn't you, Seguchi?"
He managed a look of contrived surprise, and she scowled. "And
there's no use lying to me, because I know you did." His boyish features
softened, and he gave her a gentle smile.
"Only because you didn't keep your part of the bargin, Mika-
san."
Mika's mind flittered back to the train station. Yes, she had
said she might look him up, or something to that effect, but really,
didn't the man have any sense of what a woman says when she's just
trying to be polite? She opened her mouth to retort, but was cut
off by the violent strains of a guitar and beat of drums rocking
through the amplifiers, and the sound of human voices screaming as
loudly as they could. The whole backstage area vibrated with the
rhythm, and Mika resisted the urge to cover her ears. It was a small
miracle everyone present wasn't completely deaf with the noise. Tohma
glanced between the amplifier and the lady, then made a 'follow me'
motion and nodded to Mika. She looked indignant for a moment, then
her mind said to hell with it all. She waved Hiromi over and pointed
to Tohma, then jerked her head to indicate that she was going with the
rock star. She flatly ignored the other girl's look of stunned disbelief,
taking Tohma's proffered arm and turning heel to the cramped station.
She followed the blonde to the small dressing room, kicking off the
offending black pumps the moment he shut the door behind them. She was
a little surprised at the lack of glamour; She'd always imagined backstage
dressing rooms to be at least a little posh but this room was a small
affair with only a few makeup tables and scattered chairs to provide
decoration and most of the space taken up by the obscenely large racks
of clothing that lined the back.
"All that just for concerts?" She questioned with a raised
eyebrow. It was enough to fill her admittedly oversized closet, and both
her brothers' besides. He nodded, running his hand over one of the silk
and sequin jackets with a smile.
"Designers send them to us for free, hoping we'll use them
for a show or event." He eyed the piece she was handling, a dark long
coat with flared oriental collar and sleeves. "That one is a Miyake
Issei."
"You're kidding." She dropped the sleeve back to the rack, trying
not to look too amazed.
"Not at all." He smiled, shaking his head lightly and turning from
the embarrassment of fashion riches. "You can take out or try any of them
you like, we don't even have time to go through all the outfits that
get sent in."
"That's alright..." She protested lightly, eyeing a particularly
beautiful cape and wishing she had time to take him up on the offer.
Her roving gaze caught sight of herself in the mirror, and she blanched
slightly as she realized the toll the hectic evening had taken on
her carefully constructed appearance. With a small frown she approached
the glass, noting her slightly smudged lipstick and the stray strands
of hair that had crept out of her chignon. The mars to her professional
look were a slight annoyance, but combined with the other annoyances
of the evening it was really too much. Momentarily forgetting her
status as a guest, Mika began to fuss with her hair, her interest
right now solely on getting at least one thing back into control. She
barely registered when Tohma moved dangerously closely behind her,
his hands moving up and his fingertips lightly brushing against
her shoulders.
"Here, let me." Gently he removed the pins from her hair, setting them
on the table beside them. His fingers followed, combing through her silky
tresses and letting them tumble down her back. He was taking quite a few
liberties, he knew, and it was really very rude of him, but, he reasoned, if
Mika really objected he would probably find a knee to his groin and
fingernails on his face faster than he could possibly react. He smirked
a little at that, trying to think of how he would reason the injuries
to Sakano and the band.
Mika shivered as his fingers lightly brushed the neck and scalp beneath her
locks, trying to remain statue-still as she watched the look in his eyes change
from simple enjoyment of tactile pleasure to something more predatory and possessive.
She was suddenly aware of how close he was to her, so close that she could feel his
quickened breath warm on her cheek, see the brief flash of his pulse in his throat,
that involuntary movement belying his calm exterior. His hands froze on her shoulders
and she wondered why he was hesitating, then, as an afterthought, wondered why
she was. The situation was crazy, she knew, this whole moment seemingly stolen
from one of the fanzines that really were hidden beneath springboard and
mattress in which young women wrote and drew out idly fantasized moments between
themselves and their gods. Turning carefully she raised a hand, lightly cupping his
smooth cheek and drawing her thumb across his lips, studying his reaction
with almost clinical appraisal. She knew she should feel flattered with the
attention, or angry at his casual familiarity, or maybe daring and rebellious,
instead, the primary emotion Uesugi Mika felt was confusion. Something was
happening, and she didn't understand it and she certainly didn't understand
why she was reacting like this or even why he had chosen her for this
moment instead of one of the millions of girls who would have gladly fallen at
his feet and licked his shoes in exchange for one thoughtless caress.
The millimeters seemed like miles as Mika slowly leaned forward and lay her
lips on Tohma's; soft, chaste, and waiting for a reaction. His weight leaned
into her and she parted her lips to allow him a taste of what he was seeking.
"Shh..." He cautioned, motioning to the door and the audible hum of
frantic people just behind it with a self-satisfied smile. Mika shook her head
lightly with a smirk and pulled him back to her, kissing him languidly and savoring
the mixture of salt and her lipstick on him. This was simply too illicitly fun,
sitting here with her arms twined around the neck of this not-quite a stranger
enjoying playful intimacies with the oblivious world only a few feet away. Her
confusion had been sharply shoved away by the present intoxication and the
satisfaction of knowing that even if she wasn't totally in control, at least
he wasn't either. Neither of them could have told how long they stood there
before a loud knocking on the door caused them to jump appart, exchanging furrative
and slightly guilty looks as Tohma wiped his lips to remove any evidence and
managed an only slightly winded "Come in."
"We're on in five, and you're still in the dressing room?" Noriko
huffed as she leaned in the doorway, Ryuichi slightly behind her. "Honestly,
you were supposed to be ready..." She paused as she noticed Mika standing
behind Tohma, arms crossed and her back to the door to hide her blush-tinged
cheeks. Her gaze flitted between the waitress and her fellow keyboardist,
and putting two and two together a little too well, she gave a dramatic
sigh and threw up her hands. "Just come on, okay?"
"Of course, I'm perfectly ready you know." But Tohma's smile was a
little strained as he nodded, and as he walked out he tried and failed to
catch Mika's eye. Letting her arms fall, Mika stood in the cramped space
until she could hear the first notes of Nittle Grasper coming from the
stage. Then, with all the dignity she could muster she swept her hair
back, returned her shoes to their proper place on her feet, and went back
to finish her job.
******
"Junko! Tasuha! Ugh..." Mika waved frantically, trying to get the
attention of her brother and friend from behind the metal barrier that
separated the leaving crowd from the backstage area. Even if the pair
heard her, they were swept away by the torrent of sweaty bodies streaming
towards the exit.
"Come on, Uesugi-san." She could hear Satomi complaining in the
background. "We still have to close up, and I'm ready to go." Mika sniffed
with a shake of her head. And they hadn't believed her when she had told
them this wouldn't be fun. Mentally, she checked off the things they still
had to do: Total up receipts, collect on tabs, polish and dismantle the
bar...
"Mika-san."
She paused, and turned to look at Tohma. She had thought that he
would be long gone by now...after all, superstars were always the last
ones to arrive and the first ones allowed to leave.
"I have work to do, Seguchi."
His smile faltered, and his look was plainly puzzled. In all
honesty the stoic tone had been the last thing he expected. Mika
gave a little sigh and leaned against the wall, and Tohma found
himself mirroring her defensive posture. They looked like models of
composure, each coolly beautiful and surveying the other for a chink
in the armor that would let them gain the upper hand. Mika broke
first.
"Look, Seguchi, this is fairly ridiculous, don't you agree?"
He gave her an appraising glance. "I don't see how people
getting what they want is ridiculous in the least."
"Who said I want you? You barely know me, after all." Her argument
sounded weak, even to her own ears, and she averted her eyes from his.
Serious now, Tohma leaned a hand against the wall, propping himself
close to her and answering her question with another.
"Ano..." He began, letting her eyes rise back up to meet
his. She was scared, he could see that, despite her defiant attitude
and flashing eyes. "Mika-san, why do you see me as a threat?" That was
the only reason he could come up with for this hot and cold act,
that somehow she was threatened by him and he had to assuage it.
"Honestly?" She could not find a trace of mocking or even patronization
in his gaze, just simple concern. It was touching, really, and she
somehow felt like she was being privileged by it. As hard as she tried
to keep her defenses up, they were flagging, and she suddenly felt
very tired and very old. If only she could just be a normal teenage girl,
like Junko, without all the considerations that went along with being the
eldest child and virtual mother of the Uesugi family. But it was wishful
thinking, something for a parallel universe and not reality. "Honestly,
Seguchi-san..." Mika struggled to find a way to phrase things. "It's just..."
Forcefully she composed herself again, turning away from him with a closed
posture. "I'm not in a position where I can afford to have my heart
broken."
Tohma's hand dropped away from the wall. "And you think I am?" He
asked her quietly, his expression slightly drawn. Mika tilted her head and
blinked, trying to process the new implications.
"Isn't that easy for you to say, though? Any of the women and
men here tonight would happily love you, one after the other, no
broken hearts needed."
Except the one I want...Is what he wanted to say. Instead, he took
her hand and lay her palm flat against his.
"All I'm asking for is a chance, Mika-san. I can't swear that I
won't end up being the one to break your heart, but I would never do it
malaciously. If nothing else...I think we could be very good friends."
"Lets start there then." She acquiesced, offering a slight
smile and twining her fingers with his. It was a small compromise, but better
to almost have it both ways than no way at all.
"Will you meet me tomorrow then? Before the show?"
"I suppose that makes the most sense, as we'll both be stuck here
all night anyway." The clanging of glasses and Hiromi's annoyed voice
made Mika pause. "I really do have work, Tohma."
"I know." He disentangled his hand from hers, and pulled out some
paper and a pen. "Here's my number and room...why don't you call me then meet
me there?"
"I'll call you, anyway." She took the paper and tucked it neatly into
her purse, then paused as she noticed him still standing there. "You can
leave now."
"I know." He smiled charmingly, and after a quick glance around
leaned forward to plant a fleeting kiss on Mika's lips. She gave him
a warning glare, but the effect was dulled by the red that stained her
face and the bemused smile that was trying to change her expression. It
was so infuriating that Mika didn't even have time to think of a
proper retort before Seguchi Tohma was behind the building and well out of
earshot.
End notes: R&R, as per usual. I hope I didn't disappoint after such a long hiatus. ^_^